Monthly fees for 911 phone service could increase in Tusaloosa County

Tuscaloosa County residents could see the surcharge on their phone bills for 911 service increase. (Photo by Esparta, via Flickr.com)

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama - Tuscaloosa County residents could see the fees assessed for telephone 911 service increase sharply, but some members of the panel that could vote in the hike say it is a bill pending in the Legislature that will force it.

The current monthly 50-cent surcharge on phone lines could go to more than $2, according to a report in The Tuscaloosa News. Counties that don't enact the higher fee now could see themselves penalized in the future if the bill passes as written and the increase goes into effect in October 2013.

The proposed legislation seeks to equalize rates statewide. Counties that don't get in line now could see a new state E-911 board set its reimbursement at the current amount and divert revenues collected in Tuscaloosa toward funding emergency services in other parts of the state, two member of the local authority said.

Probate Judge Hardy McCollum said the current 50-cent fee for landlines -- business or residential -- is among the lowest in the state. But provisions of the bill put the county E-911 board in the the position of "playing defense," he said.

If the bill passes, the state
board would begin collecting that higher fee on Oct. 1, 2013. The flat
fee would be based on an average of what counties and municipalities
across the state collect, and would likely be about $2.

Tuscaloosa County has been given until April 30 to decide whether to raise the fee here and collect the reimbursements later.

Tuscaloosa County Sheriff Ted Sexton, also a member of the county’s E-911 board, said that he is hesitant to raise the fee but forced to consider doing so because of the potential for future losses. “It’s an issue that I would
appreciate getting input from the public as to their feelings.”

Board members have discussed raising the rate to $2.88, which would provide enough money to build a consolidated E-911 center.

Any
locally enacted increase would not apply to the 70-cent monthly
cellphone charge, which would go up in 2013 if the statewide flat rate
is enacted by the Legislature.